Columbus Blue Jackets 2, Anaheim Ducks 2 FINAL OT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Suddenly, the Columbus Blue Jackets are playing tough on the road.

Rick Nash scored his NHL-leading 25th goal of the season with 5:23 left in the third period Sunday, lifting Columbus to a 2-2 tie with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

Nash sent a wrist shot from the slot past goaltender Martin Gerber to keep the Blue Jackets undefeated in their last three road games (1-0-2).

"We're playing better and better on the road than we ever have," coach Gerard Gallant said. "It's coming around. These guys just don't want to lose."

The Blue Jackets are 2-2-2 since Gallant took over for Doug MacLean. All six games have been on the road. Since starting the season with a 14-game road winless streak (0-11-1-2), Columbus is 3-2-2-0 away from home.

Columbus goaltender Marc Denis made 11 saves in overtime. Blue Jackets forward David Vyborny drew a double minor for high-sticking, setting up an extended Anaheim power play. But the Ducks couldn't score, extending their winless stretch to a season-high six games (0-3-3).

"When the defensemen do a good job of letting me see the shots it makes my life much easier," Denis said.

Anaheim took 43 shots, including four by Sergei Fedorov in overtime, but had to rely on goals by defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski and Todd Simpson to spark the offense.

"We have to look like a more desperate team every night," Anaheim coach Mike Babcock said.

Simpson gave the Ducks a 2-1 lead 7:44 into the third when he sent an off-balance wrist shot from the point past Denis for his third goal in three games. Simpson had only 10 goals in 502 NHL games before starting the unexpected scoring streak.

"If I shot that any time before it would have got stopped, but it hit a leg in front," Simpson said.

His first goal in 84 games gave Anaheim a 4-4 tie with Los Angeles on Wednesday. He also scored in the third period of Anaheim's 5-2 loss to Vancouver on Friday.

"There's a lot of jealousy in the room," Simpson quipped.

Vishnevski opened the scoring when he put a backhander past Denis 9:24 into the second period Columbus rookie Nikolai Zherdev fired a wrist shot by Gerber from the left circle to tie it with 3:44 to play in the second.

Zherdev, the Blue Jackets' top pick (fourth overall) in the 2003 draft, has four goals and four assists in 20 games since making his debut with Columbus on Dec. 2. He began the season playing in Russia's top league.

Anaheim rookie Joffrey Lupul assisted on both Ducks goals.